1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of inventory control. Particularly, the present invention relates to the field of inventory control using barcodes on individual inventory items. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of inventory control where usage of the inventory items during predetermined time periods are tracked and recorded by performing an initial barcode scan on a designated component in a batch and subsequently performing a barcode scan on the next available component in a batch at the end of a predetermined time period.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various laser scanning systems have been developed for many processing industries to read bar code symbols, which uniquely identify an object to be processed, and to decode the symbol to a multiple digit representation for recordkeeping and inventory control purposes. For example, blood banks have begun to identify blood bags with bar code symbols to facilitate processing. The magazine distribution industry widely distributes magazines on a consignment basis and therefore the need exists for accurately and quickly tallying the returned magazines for credit validation. Similarly, the record and tape industry requires accurate inventory information of its sold and returned products.
It is quite common in the supermarket industry to utilize a checkout counter scanning system which scans a barcode on the supermarket products and transmits that information to both a cash register which displays the price of the product and a central computer which stores information concerning the product. Typically, each product has a Uniform Product Code (UPC) which consists of two sets of codes/numbers. The first grouping of codes is manufacturer specific and the second grouping of codes represents a particular product in the specific manufacturer""s product line. These systems are typically used in point-of-service transactions. They are used by many retailers not only to keep track of inventory levels as each item is scanned but also to measure the scanning performance of their checkout personnel, which is typically measured in items scanned per minute.
The barcode symbol itself is a coded pattern of indicia comprised of a series of bars of various widths spaced apart from one another to bound spaces of various widths, the bars and spaces having different light-reflecting characteristics. The readers and scanning systems electro-optically transform the graphic indicia into electrical signals, which are decoded into alphanumerical characters that are intended to be descriptive of the article or some characteristic thereof. Such characters are typically represented in digital form and utilized as an input to a data processing system for applications in point-of-sale processing, inventory control, and the like.
There are several laser-scanning systems of this general type currently in use. For example, there are point-of-sale or deck scanners which are large, massive and stationary installations that are built into an immovable structure such as a supermarket counter. Other systems include contact-type and non-contact-type wand or pen bar code readers, which are positioned on or near the symbol, and then manually dragged across the symbol. Still other laser scanning systems have recently been designed which can be hand-held. In addition, there are scanner systems for providing real-time performance feedback, for scanning a plurality of barcode labels appearing within the field of view of the scanner and for interrelating scanner data from a supermarket checkout counter with demographic and/or economic data concerning individual customers. However, all of the current scanning systems require that each item be scanned in order to properly track inventory levels and usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,163 (1993, Collins et al.) discloses a method for processing the reading of barcode tags or labels in which a barcode scanner reads a plurality of barcode tags in the field of view of the scanner while in a stationary position generating tag representation for each tag read. The steps include storing the first tag representation, comparing each succeeding tag representation with the first tag representation and generating a count representing the number of times the same tag read was read for use in processing the barcode tags in the minimum amount of time. A drawback of this device requires that each item be scanned in order to properly track inventory levels and usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,226 (1995, Collins) discloses a feedback system for an optical scanner which provides scanning rate information to an operator during scanning. The feedback system includes a controller for determining scanning rate information during scanning and a plurality of lights controlled by the controller which provides the scanning rate information to an operator during scanning. The system also includes a shift register coupled between the controller and the indicator lights, and a speaker for providing an aural indication of successful and unsuccessful scanning events during scanning. Again, a draw back of this device requires that each item be scanned in order to provide the user with scanning rate information and to properly track inventory levels and usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,113 (1989, Dinerstein) discloses a system for interrelating scanner data from a supermarket checkout counter with demographic and/or economic data concerning individual customers to generate a demographic and economic analysis of sales with respect to specific supermarket items. The computer keeps track of all items purchased by the individuals, preferably by the entry of item data through a barcode scanner at the checkout counter. This, like the other prior art, requires that each item be scanned to provide a more reliable interrelationship of the demographic and economic data concerning individual customers and to properly track inventory levels and usage.
Therefore what is needed is an inventory recording system that does not require recording of product characteristics for each product sold or withdrawn from inventory. What is further needed is an inventory recording system that allows recording of inventory usage by recording an initial item in each batch of like items and then recording a next available item in a particular batch sometime thereafter regardless of the number of items withdrawn during the interim time. What is still further needed is an inventory recording system that provides inventory usage by using barcodes on inventory items that have a portion of the barcode individually serialized and that are arranged in either increasing or decreasing numerical order.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inventory barcode recording system that does not require recording of product characteristics for each product sold or withdrawn from inventory. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an inventory barcode recording system that allows recording of an initial item in each batch of like items, the recording of the next available item in a particular batch after a period of time regardless of the number of items withdrawn from the particular batch, and the determination of the number of items withdrawn from that particular batch that occurred during that time period. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an inventory barcode recording system that provides this information by using barcodes on inventory items that have a portion of the barcode individually serialized and that are arranged in either increasing or decreasing numerical order.
The present invention achieves these and other objectives by providing an inventory system and methodology that incorporates the use of serialized barcodes on like items, a scanning device for scanning the barcode of a predetermined item in a batch, a processor circuit for recording the barcode data into memory, and a data display device for displaying reports on the usage of various inventory items. The scanning device may be hand-held or stationary. The system may be made up of multiple components or it may be incorporated into a single unit. The scanning device should be capable of reading various symbologies such as UPC/EAN/JAN, Bookland EAN, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, Interleave, Discrete, Codabar, 1205, and MSI Plessey to name a few. The data display device may be any useable screen display capable of displaying computerized data. A printing device may also be attached to provide hard-copy reports of inventory usage.
The inventory system methodology relies on each inventory item in a given batch having serialized barcodes and each item in a batch of like items being arranged in either increasing or decreasing serial numbers. The barcodes must be divided into at least two number segments, one for the batch number of the item and one for the serial number. Preferably, a third grouping representing the model number is also used. The items must be arranged such that the serial numbers of the individual items having the same model number are in sequential order. It is not important that the starting serial number be zero or one so long as the total number of items having the same model number are in proper order. By having the first item""s serial number equal to zero or one, it simplifies recording the quantity of items of a particular model number. For ease of explanation, we shall call this Method 1. This is accomplished by simply recording the serial number of the last item to determine the total number of items. For instance, if all serialized components begin with zero, the quantity of items in a batch is equal to the serial number of the last component plus one. Specifically, if the last item has a serial number of 299, the total number of items is equal to 300. If all serialized components begin with one, the quantity of items in a batch is equal to the serial number of the last component.
If the serial numbers do not begin with zero, then recording the first item and the last item in the batch are needed to determine the quantity of items in that batch. For ease of explanation, we shall call this Method 2. Either way, inventory usage of a particular component may be easily determined without having to scan/record each item when it is withdrawn from inventory. After a period of time, the next available item in inventory is scanned. Unlike prior art inventory systems, the present invention does not require scanning of each item withdrawn from inventory. The present invention does not increase a counter stored in memory for a particular item by one each time such item is scanned.
Because each component is serialized and arranged in order of increasing or decreasing serial number, the quantity of a particular item withdrawn during a given period of time can be determined. Under both Methods 1 and 2, the next available item in a collection of like items is scanned. Under Method 1, the serial number of the next available item represents the number of items that have been previously withdrawn from that particular batch. Under Method 2, the serial number of the next available item is subtracted from the serial number of the initial item scanned. The difference between the serial numbers plus one equals the number of items that have been withdrawn. By storing the barcodes and time/date each time scanning is performed, the present system can provide inventory withdrawal quantities for each interim time period in addition to total inventory usage for a particular batch. Thus, the present invention does not require recording or scanning of each item in order to determine the total number of items withdrawn from inventory during a given period of time. The present invention provides considerable savings in time and costs especially for establishments that do not have a xe2x80x9cpoint-of-salexe2x80x9d type system. It is especially useful for tracking inventory use when personnel changes occur such as work shift changes.
A third method, Method 3, is also possible. Method 3 also requires that the individual pieces of a particular inventory item have serialized bar codes as well as a set number of pieces in each batch. This method allows the user to scan any piece in a particular batch when a new batch is opened without having to be concerned about scanning the bar code of the first or last serialized piece. In this method, the user must manually enter the price per piece. The quantity of each batch may or may not need to be entered depending on the serialization system used. In fixed-batch cost systems, the price of each item also determines the quantity of items in the batch.
The present invention is particularly useful for instant lottery ticket sales, as there is currently no automated counting system for recording such sales. The large lottery ticket machines that are used for the xe2x80x9cnumbersxe2x80x9d games are used only for activating the different instant-ticket lottery games. Each game generally has a sufficient number of instant-game tickets to last several days, if not weeks. Once the individual store owners and operators activate a new game, the only way for them to keep track of the number of instant tickets sold per game is to do a manual count of each game. Because lottery sales is a cash business and accountability is important to avert theft, store owners or managers manually do a final tally of the day or tallies after each workshift change. This is done every day for all the instant game tickets sold during that day. For one instant game, this would not present much of a problem. However, each State introduces a large variety of instant lottery games in order to appeal to a larger customer base. On any given day, a State lottery commission may have as many as thirty to fifty different instant lottery games in progress. Doing a daily tally of the number of tickets sold for each game is time consuming. In establishments that are open for twenty-four hours or where shift changes occur during the day due to personnel changes, a tally must be performed for each game for each shift. Because instant lottery ticket sales is a cash business with a very low markup, it is important that not only daily but shift tallies be performed to protect against theft. This manual counting has become a serious hassle for storeowners and managers.
The present invention reduces the time to count the daily and workshift sales of all of these various games. Each ticket is serialized, each game is given a model/part number, and each printing run is given a batch number so that the State authorities, particularly the sweepstakes commissions of the various States, can determine if and when winning tickets may be counterfeit. By scanning the last ticket in a game under Method 1, the game number, batch number and total number of tickets in the game is stored by the present invention. At the end of the day or workshift, one simply scans the next available ticket for each particular game. From the bar code data, the tally is automatically calculated by retrieving the previously scanned item information and performing the necessary data manipulation. A report is then generated listing all games and the number of tickets of each instant lottery game sold. This serialized bar code system is not limited to instant-game lottery tickets. It is also useful for tracking inventory usage in warehouse environments, by wholesalers and by anyone or any company wishing to easily determine inventory usage. As mentioned earlier, any system that serializes each piece of inventory may be set up similar to Methods 1, 2 or 3.
Additional advantages and embodiments of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description, which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. It is understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.